Hey Summer

The Philippines is a very hot place. But, only during summer is when the HOT becomes HOT. Each and everyone of us has a favorite season. But,  I think it is inappropriate and senseless to ask a Filipino who lives in the Philippines what his favorite season is because I think it is summer here forever. Every Filipino loves summer. Don’t deny that. And every Summer, who doesn’t think about going to Boracay, Palawan, Mindoro or even Batangas? Everybody loves the beach. I don’t know a single person who doesn’t love the beach.
The are lots of beautiful beaches in the Philippines. The most beautiful ones are not the one you see in the magazines all the time. There are lots of hidden wonders in the Philippines and one of my favorite was Anawangin Cove in San Antonio Zambales.

4 years ago, I was invited by my friend Angela  to accompany her and her mom to this place in San Antonio Zambales to talk about this legacy left to her by her lolo. It was this big land near the beach where people don’t usually go to. Only few houses has electricity and in this place you can see children still playing with flowers and not with PSPs. I think the population there was less than a hundred by that time. We stayed there for a couple of days and experienced the beach. It was beautiful. My friend’s uncle informed us that there is a cove and some islands nearby and that very few people know about it. It was called Anawangin. We didn’t dare to go because we were told that that side of the sea was wild and you need to ride a boat to get there.


A few years passed and I was invited by another friend. She was telling me about this place in Zambales and how beautiful it is. I was encouraged to join their little group and after a few weeks we were there. The place seemed familiar and it was by that time when we were already boarding the tricycle when I realized that it was the same exact place I went to a couple of years ago. Except at that time, the place was quiet and now it’s busy with lots of people selling goods.


We arrived at Pundakit and I was shocked at how busy the place was. We passed by the location where my friend and I stayed years ago but the land was empty and that they already built a concrete wall around it. We arrived at the beach where we were supposed to have the boat ride. A couple of years ago I was there too and there were only 4 of us in the beach. That time it was more beautiful, peaceful and almost melancholy you could lay yourself in the sand and think about your life. Now, it’s just like what it is in the city. It’s busy and What happened to the quiet and peaceful beach? What happened to the people?

My point is, yes, I know these people want to earn money. Yes, they have the right to capitalize on the beauty of the place, but why can’t you just preserve the beauty and the natural atmosphere of the place. Why did you have to create this busy scene and buildings? One thing this peeple don’t get is that people go there for the calmness of the serene atmosphere. Sooner or later, this people will come looking for something else. Lesson: Don’t try to become the city if you want the city to come to you.
Anyway , despite this ugly change, the people was not successful in changing two things. The skyline and the water was the same old faces . The water fought for its right to stay fresh and the sky resisted pollution. San Antonio Zambales may have changed a bit because of its carnal desire to look more contemporary, but the fact that some of its island remained astonishing is just simply undeniable. I love it and this year I shall return.